Cosplay: Fictional Characters Coming to Life

Late last year I was initiated into the world of Cosplay when my daughter and her friends announced their intention to attend a convention in Hobart. I had absolutely no idea as to what Cosplay involved and what to expect from a group of people gathering together dressed as fictional characters. To say the least I was amazed and impressed with the creativity, enthusiasm and ability of a love of fictional characters from literature and other media formats to unite people from different backgrounds and age groups.

To be surrounded by Gandalf, Jedis, Ariel the Mermaid, Pokemon, Hobbits, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and a range of Manga inspired characters was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend attending conventions in the future. To see young children, young adults and much older people dressed up and having fun in a literature inspired environment was fascinating. It was a bit like a Book Week parade but for all age groups.

If you are still unsure as to what Cosplay is about, a great article to read is ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Cosplay’ by Lucy Saxon. http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/jun/26/cosplay-a-beginners-guide-comic-con-lucy-saxon

The popularity of Cosplay amongst young people is growing and I am sure in many schools there is a small band that do so and would love to share their enthusiasm with you.

To further explore the world of Cosplay, Lauren Orsini’s book ‘Cosplay:The Fantasy World of Role Play’ includes a wide array of photographs of creative costumes based on anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy films, television series and books.

Tricia Scott - 2016 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Tasmanian Judge and Teacher Librarian

Source references for images: http://free-images.gatag.net/en/  authorised for use under Creative Commons